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2020 was a challenging year, but 2021 is exceeding our expectations... The most controversial Government policy targeting residential property investors has been revealed.

The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (RTAA) is arguably the biggest tenancy reform in 30 years. It comes with lots of nuisances that landlords should be aware of.

11 February 2021 is a big day. The second phase of The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (RTAA) is coming into effect. What every landlord needs to know.

The deadline for compliance with the Healthy Homes minimum standards is looming. Are you on track to meet the necessary requirements?

There must be at least one fixed heater that meets a required heating capacity that can directly heat the main living room to at least 18°C. Specific heating devices that are inefficient, unaffordable or unhealthy will not meet the requirements of this standard.

From 1 July 2019 ceiling and underfloor insulation became compulsory in all rental homes. The Healthy Homes Insulation Standard increases the minimum standard for existing insulation.

Ventilation must include openable windows in the living room, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms. Rooms with a bath or shower or indoor cooktop must have an appropriately sized extractor fan vented outside.

Landlords must block any unreasonable gaps and holes in walls, ceilings, windows, floors, skylights and doors that cause draughts. Open fireplaces must be blocked unless the tenant and landlord agree otherwise.

A rental property must have a drainage system that drains stormwater, surface water and groundwater to an appropriate outfall. The drainage system must include gutters, downpipes and drains to remove water from the roof. A rental property with enclosed subfloor space must have a ground moisture barrier (if practicable to install).

There are 2 general exemptions and 1 partial exemption from complying with the Healthy Homes Standards that landlords should be aware of.

Anything new installed in the rental property or provided to meet the Healthy Homes Standards must be maintained in good working order.

The standards create specific and minimum requirements for all rental properties in respect of heating, insulation, ventilation, draught stopping, moisture ingress and drainage. Landlords must ensure they are aware of the requirements around each standard to prevent the risk of future penalties.

As a landlord, you need to ensure that your rentals meet the standards by the deadline. However, you also need to keep records of how you're complying with the Healthy Homes Standards (HHS).

There have been many legal changes in the last two years. New rules mean increased risks for many landlords. As a result, screening tenants carefully has never been more important.

From 31st August 2020, some types of building work no longer require a building consent. These exemptions not just speed up the construction process but save a lot of money for house owners.

The Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2020 received Royal Assent on 11th August 2020 and is now law. Here are the details.

After over 100 days without any community transmitted cases, New Zealand is back to Alert level 2 and 3.

With myRent you can now advertise your rental property on Homes.co.nz. This will give your listing more exposure and attract yet another source of potential tenants.

With myRent you can now advertise your rental property on Trovit.

The tenancy termination restrictions are lifted but the rent freeze remains in place until 25 September 2020.

NZ landlords have received a five-month extension to meet this year's Healthy Homes requirements.

NZ Landlords can now operate in a way that is much more like normal with the country returning to Level 2.

The Health Act Order was signed off, and the Government released the official guidelines that the realestate industry needs to follow during Alert Level 2.

The Government has announced some clarification about Level 3 restrictions. Here is what you need to know about conducting inspections and addressing maintenance issues.